


Only one

by gruener_regen



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Before teH, M/M, Sherlock is in east europe, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 21:31:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3355970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gruener_regen/pseuds/gruener_regen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>All these years in east europe there was one person who kept him going. Sherlock thinks of John on Valentine's day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only one

„What are you doing?“

The woman didn’t even look up from the countless tealights before her. How ridiculous. They had electricity and flashlights should they need them. Why would she waste her money on those anyway.

“Lighting candles.”

“I can see that.”

He counted twenty-seven in total. There were still a few left which she didn’t bother putting on. It bothered him though. He didn’t like uneven numbers.

“What’s with the rest?” he asked her kneeling down onto the cold floor next to her. At least they were good for one thing, he thought as he stretched out his hands towards the small flames. The house they had broken into was old and they didn’t have any wood to make a fire. But it wasn’t bad enough to be life threatening. She could have kept them for worse times.

“I only need these.” She replied aligning them in a semi-circle around the two of them.

“Satanic ritual?” he guessed.

“Valentines day.”

It didn’t take her long to notice the confused look on his face. What a peculiar man he was.

“A candle for each person that I miss. Like a Valentine’s day card. To let them know you care.” She explained, still pushing the tealights in order.

“They won’t know you did this though. And judging by our chances to get away from the baron, you won’t be able to tell them either.”

Peculiar indeed, she thought. But it didn’t matter. He had taken her with him as he’d broken out of captivity a few days prior. She’d follow him until they were safe, even if he was a liar.

 “It helps though. You can take one.”

The man looked at her for a few seconds, certain it was above him. Then he shook his head.

“I don’t do Valentine’s day cards.”

“I’ve seen what you went through, Sergei. No one can do that without something, or better yet, someone to hold on to. You’ve got to have someone who’s important enough to keep you going. Some Valentine out there, waiting for you.”

He hesitated but after a few seconds he did reach for a tealight.

“Just one?”

“Yes.”

Carefully he held the wick into one of the small flames and then placed it right in front of him, away from her candles.

“Who is she, if I may ask?”

Sergei smiled, tenderly. “John.”

He noticed the surprise on her face and was grateful that she didn’t say anything. He knew that she knew that his real name wasn’t Sergei and that he wasn’t actually from Russia and also that he was doing something bigger than even the baron thought. But she couldn’t know any of the details, of course.

“Have you told him?”

His smile faded, which was answer enough.

“Does he know?”

“How would he know if I haven’t told him?”

Her smiles softened.

“Some people just know things. But I doubt I’ll need to tell you about that.”

“I don’t think he does.”

“How come?”

“He never left.”

Sergei was staring into the small flame, his eyebrows furrowed. He seemed to be lost in thought, but that wasn’t anything unusual with him. That much she had figured out so far.

“Why would he leave?” she asked gently, so caught up in the moment that the tealights that slowly went out one after the other, went by unnoticed.

“I’m not the most pleasant person to be around.” He gave her a dark glance as she interrupted him with a short fit of laughter. “And besides, he isn’t… well, he’s not…”

“I see... You will tell him, tough. When you go back, right?”

After another short while he started smiling again.

“Yes. I’ll tell him and everything will be as it should be.

One estimation he was sure of.


End file.
